POLITICAL RADICALS OFTEN SHOUT, “Fascist! Fascist!” at anyone who doesn’t agree with their views. The term is especially popular among college students. But do such people actually know what Fascism is? Have they studied it?

Unfortunately, Fascism has an undeserved bad reputation. Regardless of this reputation, Fascism is a very sensible economic and social ideology. There are a few different “flavors” of Fascism, but basically they all come down to the following.

Fascism is an economic system in which a nation’s government plays a central role in monitoring all banking, trade, production, and labor activity which takes place within the nation. Such monitoring is done for the sole purpose of safeguarding and advancing the nation and its people.

Under Fascism, the government will not approve of any business activity unless that business has a positive impact on the nation as a whole and the people of the nation — this is the axiom which determines everything under Fascism.

In other words, the government asks, “Is XYZ Enterprises good for our nation and our people?” If yes, it’s approved. If no, it’s not approved. When they ask “Is it good?” they mean, “Is XYZ Enterprises good for the workers? Do they pay a fair wage? Do they produce a product or provide a service which advances our nation and our people technologically, morally, spiritually, and in health, et cetera?” For example, a pornography company would not be allowed because pornography corrupts people generally and exploits and degrades women particularly. Also, “free” trade agreements (such as what the U.S. has with China) would never be allowed because such trade agreements result in companies sending jobs overseas (where labor is dirt cheap). Such an activity, of course, would undermine a nation’s labor class. This is entirely unacceptable and thus not allowed under a Fascist economic model.

Fascism is based on free enterprise — but with constraints (the primary constraint being “Is the particular economic activity in question good for our nation?”). Also, a businessman can become wealthy in a Fascist country, and the government has no objection to this (this is in stark contrast to Communism). Fascism also encourages private ownership of property (again, in stark contrast to Communism where private property is not allowed).

An Italian coin of 1923, fasces on reverse

In a nutshell, Fascism basically tells entrepreneurs, “Go ahead and start a business, earn a lot of money, be successful, but don’t produce any products or services which damage our nation and our nation’s people… and make sure you treat your workers fairly and pay them a living wage. If you don’t do these things, we’ll shut you down.”

Under Fascism, usury is not allowed.

The government tightly controls monetary policy and banking. The government issues/prints money and lends it interest free, as needed, to grow the economy and ultimately serve the citizens.

The above is the economic aspect of Fascism. There is also a cultural/social aspect to Fascism as well. Under Fascism, government plays a key role in monitoring film, theatre, art, literature, music, education, etc. in order to maintain a high moral standard, keep things clean and respectable, promote a strong sense of patriotism and honor, and prevent the dissemination of depraved filth which corrupts society.

A US coin of 1945, fasces on reverse

With regard to political legislation introduced by a Fascist government, the same criterion is applied — “Will this proposed law benefit the nation as a whole and the people of our nation?”

Fascism also encourages respect for the environment, as Fascists understand that Nature is the giver of life and thus must be preserved. Contrast this environmental view with that of Capitalism which too often takes the short-term view with regard to natural resources and foolishly believes that pollution is a necessary byproduct of profit. Also, and somewhat related to environmental issues, Fascism holds very progressive views with regard to animal rights.

Also, under Fascism, if a person doesn’t like things, he/she can leave the country.

Contrast this with Communism where if you don’t like things, you better keep your mouth shut — and where, of course, there is no option to leave: You will submit or else be sent to a re-education camp where you’ll be brainwashed to accept the Communist system. And, if you still resist, you’ll probably be killed. Again, there is no leaving. Submit or suffer the consequences.

The goddess Hera holding the fasces

Further, Fascism holds women in very high regard. Women are the carriers of new life. They are expected to be educated, worldly, and well-read. Women are encouraged to pursue their interests and have a career but only if a career won’t interfere with their family’s needs; family comes first, always. Women are encouraged to be strong yet feminine. Consistent with these ideas, Fascist art often portrays women as heroic and even goddess-like.

In short, Fascism is a form of government and social system which authentically serves the interests of the people and nation as a whole. The word “Fascism” comes from the Italian word “fascio” meaning “the group” or more specifically, “in consideration of the group.” Fascism is rooted in the notion that people must stay true to two mental concepts throughout their lives: 1) the individual’s needs (themselves) and, 2) the group’s needs (their nation)… always evaluating how their actions affect the group. Thus Fascism rejects the self-centered “me me me” mentality so common under capitalism. For example, in a Fascist nation each person is expected to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. For, if not, they may become seriously ill and thus require expensive health care; this would negatively impact the group (i.e., they’d become a financial burden on the nation).

George Washington holding the fasces

Continuing this line of thought, under Fascism all people of one’s ethnicity are considered the greater family of that person. Hence, a Fascist nation is thought of as one giant family of several million people. Therefore, just as one mustn’t do anything to hurt one’s brother or sister in one’s immediate family, under Fascism one mustn’t do anything which would hurt the nation/group (i.e., the greater family). This is the essence of Fascism — a strong consideration of the group, balanced with individualism.

In Germany, the former NSDAP (i.e., “Nazis”) followed the above-described Fascist system.

A further note on economics:

Although the economic aspect of Fascism is free-market based, Fascism is not capitalism. Many on the political left wrongly equate Fascism with capitalism. Again, Fascism is not capitalism.

Allow me to briefly explain: The primary goal of capitalism is profit.

On the other hand, the primary goal of Fascism is the well-being of a nation’s citizens and well-being of the nation as a whole.

In a purist-type capitalist country (i.e., super-capitalism) almost nothing can interfere with maximizing profits — not workers, not the environment, almost nothing. Even when a capitalist country starts out with tight government regulations, it invariably moves towards laissez-faire economics (i.e., super-capitalism) by way of less and less government regulation. Human greed drives this transformation and ultimately the working class suffer via lower wages — or loss of employment altogether if their job is, say, transferred overseas (e.g., to China) where labor is dirt cheap. Capitalists believe that immense wealth at the top will “trickle down” to the masses: that is, that everything will magically work itself out. A certain amount of wealth does “trickle down” but, too often, the worker and environment suffer. As just one example, tens of millions of American manufacturing jobs have been shipped overseas during the past two decades (capitalist so-called “free” trade policies have allowed for such outsourcing of jobs).

Lastly, just as Fascists reject Communism, they also reject capitalism.

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"At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to state this or that or the other, but it is "not done"....Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with.

It's the only film I've ever seen that makes capitalists and communists look bad.

The trivia below is from the re-released 1986 edited version of the film.

Did You Know?

TriviaThe films Noi vivi and Addio Kira! were produced in 1942 in Italy ("Addio Kira" is part two of the story that begins in "Noi Vivi"). The films were made without the authorization, input, involvement, or, in fact, knowledge, of Ayn Rand author of the underlying work, "We The Living". Because of the war and the fact that Rand was an American, the producers, Scalera Films, made no attempt to secure the underlying literary rights. In these films, the original story was severely corrupted due to addition of several gratuitous propaganda scenes ordered by the fascist party (they controlled all filmmaking in Italy at that time). After the war, Scalera attempted to get the underlying rights from Rand and was refused. Because of this "Noi Vivi" and "Addio Kira" were not and cannot be legally distributed (Rand eventually received wartime reparations from the government of Italy for the theft of her property). Many years later, the negatives of the two existing films were purchased by American filmmakers. Rand granted literary rights and authorized a new film version of "We The Living" to be created out the films on the condition that several significant changes were made. Most importantly, she wanted the propaganda scenes removed and the story to be told in a single film. Because of this, "We The Living", released in 1986, is significantly different from the two unauthorized films. The offending scenes and several subplots of the story have been removed. Running time is now a full hour less than the total of the two films. See more »

It's the only film I've ever seen that makes capitalists and communists look bad.

The trivia below is from the re-released 1986 edited version of the film.

Did You Know?

TriviaThe films Noi vivi and Addio Kira! were produced in 1942 in Italy ("Addio Kira" is part two of the story that begins in "Noi Vivi"). The films were made without the authorization, input, involvement, or, in fact, knowledge, of Ayn Rand author of the underlying work, "We The Living". Because of the war and the fact that Rand was an American, the producers, Scalera Films, made no attempt to secure the underlying literary rights. In these films, the original story was severely corrupted due to addition of several gratuitous propaganda scenes ordered by the fascist party (they controlled all filmmaking in Italy at that time). After the war, Scalera attempted to get the underlying rights from Rand and was refused. Because of this "Noi Vivi" and "Addio Kira" were not and cannot be legally distributed (Rand eventually received wartime reparations from the government of Italy for the theft of her property). Many years later, the negatives of the two existing films were purchased by American filmmakers. Rand granted literary rights and authorized a new film version of "We The Living" to be created out the films on the condition that several significant changes were made. Most importantly, she wanted the propaganda scenes removed and the story to be told in a single film. Because of this, "We The Living", released in 1986, is significantly different from the two unauthorized films. The offending scenes and several subplots of the story have been removed. Running time is now a full hour less than the total of the two films. See more »

No, I did not know that. I have downloaded the movie - Noi vivi (1942)94 min - Drama | Romance

... and will watch it when I have the time. Right now (being the bonafide contractor of our new house) I am too busy. But will watch it after we move in.

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"At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to state this or that or the other, but it is "not done"....Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with.

It was always a mystery to me why Jews always spoke out against Fascism. They always said it was because the Fascist would make one wear a black or brown shirt force you to goose-step. They never mentioned the usury part.

This is precisely why Germany had to perish... add Libya and other Muslim countries and you know why we are bringing them 'Democracy' via bombs.

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"At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to state this or that or the other, but it is "not done"....Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with.

No, I did not know that. I have downloaded the movie - Noi vivi (1942)94 min - Drama | Romance

... and will watch it when I have the time. Right now (being the bonafide contractor of our new house) I am too busy. But will watch it after we move in.

It's a kinda hard to watch old film but seeing the point of view, of the world, from 1942 Italy is very educational. More importantly, it's a film that was banned in the West until the computer age came along and it could no longer be contained. Graybeard is not crazy about it, but from my point of view it is more significant than Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

It's a kinda hard to watch old film but seeing the point of view, of the world, from 1942 Italy is very educational. More importantly, it's a film that was banned in the West until the computer age came along and it could no longer be contained. Graybeard is not crazy about it, but from my point of view it is more significant than Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

Being a contractor for somebody else's house is a lot easier.

(I am not a Rand fan) I'll let you know what I think about this film.

Indeed! Plus it pays better, however I am getting some fairly good breaks, plus I know what I am looking for and what the prices are elsewhere, so I am happy to support some of my local outlets first.

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"At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to state this or that or the other, but it is "not done"....Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with.

I'm not either cause by the time I learned about Ayn Rand I has already read too much philosophy and didn't see anything new--she borrowed a little from here and a little from there.

The film Noi Vivi is less about Rand and more about Italy 1942 since that viewpoint has been censored in the West even before I was born makes it interesting. After WWII films and books in Italy that had the wrong viewpoint were burnt, buried, and destroyed. This film uses the Rand novel as a vehicle to promote the ideas of the of the time and this film survived because of Rand's fame, and sometimes we have take the artifact that survived if we're serious about history.

It was always a mystery to me why Jews always spoke out against Fascism. They always said it was because the Fascist would make one wear a black or brown shirt force you to goose-step. They never mentioned the usury part.

Well, I think it depends on how facism is defined. I always thought that facism required a form of dictatorship-- and jooz prefer democracy because they can take over the political process by taking over the media and education system like they have in the U.S., which enables them to maintain control of the financial system and bleed the goyim dry. According to the author's definition, facism is designed to benefit the entire population--which would obviously be something da jooz would oppose.

Well, I think it depends on how facism is defined. I always thought that facism required a form of dictatorship-- and jooz prefer democracy because they can take over the political process by taking over the media and education system like they have in the U.S., which enables them to maintain control of the financial system and bleed the goyim dry. According to the author's definition, facism is designed to benefit the entire population--which would obviously be something da jooz would oppose.

And they did!

Fascism Part I: Understanding Fascism and anti-Semitism

by image - October 23, 2003

Fascism is recognized to have first been officially developed by Benito Mussolini, who came to power in Italy in 1922. To sum up fascism in one word would be to say "anti-liberalism".

Fascism is much more than that however, but understanding fascism is in fact one of the most important elements in understanding the 20th century and our modern world.

In 1932 Mussolini declared that the 20th century would be the "Fascist century" by stating:

"If it is admitted that the nineteenth century has been the century of Socialism, Liberalism and Democracy, it does not follow that the twentieth must also be the century of Liberalism, Socialism and Democracy. Political doctrines pass; peoples remain. It is to be expected that this century may be that of authority, a century of the "Right," a Fascist century."

Mussolini and his followers believed that this ideology was the best hope for "saving Western Civilization".

What, then, is fascism exactly?

In order to understand fascism it is first important to understand the climate of the early 20th century in which fascism took shape.

Fascism was born out of the ruins of World War I, in which Mussolini served. Fascism was immediately reactionary to its surroundings in Europe, which was dominated by the two established powers of Britain and France. Britain and France were seen as economically dominant but decaying imperial civilizations who were imposing their hegemony on the rest of Europe. At the same time, Russia had recently undergone its Bolshevik Revolution and was supporting Marxist revolutionary activity and ideology throughout Europe. All of the countries in which fascism took root were countries that had significant socialist movements. Fascism was the opposition to those socialist movements. Fascism further recognized the finance capitalism of the United States and Britain as a destructive and corrupting force on "Western Culture" and as a threat to the still developing European countries, such as Italy, Germany and Ireland.

So, this was the environment in which fascism formed; in an environment where the "lesser" countries of Europe felt trapped between the established powers of international capital and the powers of revolutionary Marxism.

Fascism was ultimately born out of, and supported by, conservatism and the belief that Western Civilization had become decadent and self-ruinous.

In 1927 Oswald Spengler, who wrote Decline of the West, wrote that the infection the West was suffering came from certain elements. He went on to state: "I will list them: liberalism, democracy, socialism, free-masonry. The organism of the West has been weakened, debilitated by these ideologies. Well, there is in existence only one movement existing at the present time which has the courage possessing the power of a great nation to be fundamentally, openly, ferociously anti-liberal, anti- democratic, anti-Freemason: Fascism."

A German article, The Victory of Faith, was published in 1939 which talked extensively about Spengler's Decline of the West. The article stated:

The fact that "The Decline of the West" was written, read and believed is clear proof that Germany, and with it Europe, was in deadly danger, heading for destruction. Spengler pinpointed the worldview situation of the declining liberal age.

"At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to state this or that or the other, but it is "not done"....Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with.

Interesting article, current leftyish definition of fascism involves pro-war agenda, limiting workers' rights etc. Some truth to that but of course MSM ignores the more positive aspects of German/Italian "fascists". Ironically while Nazi Germany & Fascist Italy were destroyed, the PTB left "fascist" Spain relatively intact. MSM, post-WWII gave little attention to Spain other than mocking Franco who took 'forever to die' & claiming that Spain was held back by Francosim, protectionism etc. Banksters claimed chronically high Spanish unemployment & low income was a result...but in recent years Spain bought into globalist EU & wow, even more of the same.

BTW Spain known for producing some of world's best ham:

Sadly, the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibited the importation of Spanish ham for years. Recently, though, American's rigidly protectionist Ham Curtain has been relaxed.

And now you can legally purchase Jamon Iberico de Bellota without fear. At the Fox & Obel gourmet store in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood, it costs only $179.99 per pound.

Interesting article, current leftyish definition of fascism involves pro-war agenda, limiting workers' rights etc. Some truth to that but of course MSM ignores the more positive aspects of German/Italian "fascists". Ironically while Nazi Germany & Fascist Italy were destroyed, the PTB left "fascist" Spain relatively intact. MSM, post-WWII gave little attention to Spain other than mocking Franco who took 'forever to die' & claiming that Spain was held back by Francosim, protectionism etc. Banksters claimed chronically high Spanish unemployment & low income was a result...but in recent years Spain bought into globalist EU & wow, even more of the same.

BTW Spain known for producing some of world's best ham:

Sadly, the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibited the importation of Spanish ham for years. Recently, though, American's rigidly protectionist Ham Curtain has been relaxed.

And now you can legally purchase Jamon Iberico de Bellota without fear. At the Fox & Obel gourmet store in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood, it costs only $179.99 per pound.

I did not know that Spain produced such expensive ham. Wow, now that is overpriced!

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"At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to state this or that or the other, but it is "not done"....Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with.

POLITICAL RADICALS OFTEN SHOUT, “Fascist! Fascist!” at anyone who doesn’t agree with their views. The term is especially popular among college students. But do such people actually know what Fascism is? Have they studied it?

Unfortunately, Fascism has an undeserved bad reputation. Regardless of this reputation, Fascism is a very sensible economic and social ideology. There are a few different “flavors” of Fascism, but basically they all come down to the following.

Fascism is an economic system in which a nation’s government plays a central role in monitoring all banking, trade, production, and labor activity which takes place within the nation. Such monitoring is done for the sole purpose of safeguarding and advancing the nation and its people.

Under Fascism, the government will not approve of any business activity unless that business has a positive impact on the nation as a whole and the people of the nation — this is the axiom which determines everything under Fascism.

Lots of BUTs in this article, and rules out the advent of corrupt politicians and stupidity, gullibility, and just plain greed.

Germany found this out the hard way and went about ousting the corrupt 'merchants and bankers' with violence in order to protect the economy.

The US was meant to be, and pursued fascism under the 'guise' of democracy and called it a democratic republic ... it has never been totally committed to either or any, because of allowing their Central Bank to become a private enterprise.

Truth extends beyond the border of self-limiting science. Free discourse among opposing viewpoints draws the open-minded away from the darkness of inevitable bias and nearer to the light of universal reality.

Well, I think it depends on how facism is defined. I always thought that facism required a form of dictatorship-- and jooz prefer democracy because they can take over the political process by taking over the media and education system like they have in the U.S., which enables them to maintain control of the financial system and bleed the goyim dry. According to the author's definition, facism is designed to benefit the entire population--which would obviously be something da jooz would oppose.

All these political ideologies have been incorporated in all nations around the world cause these are the bookends of current political thought. As far as political systems, we all pretty much have one--an oligarchy; political ideologies are not political systems. Of the three, Fascism, Capitalism, and Democracy, the US is more ideologically Fascist.

History. Theocracies as political systems died in the 20th Century and are not even open for debate as viable systems although they remain as ideologies in a few nations such as Israel and Iran. Monarchies such as the Gulf States only survive because they're puppets and the rulers are only ideological rulers, not absolute rulers. They have incorporated the the FDC ideologies into their political systems and are probably more C followed by F with a smaller group of oligarchs.

Back to the USA. When US Govt. gives trillions to banks, billions to car companies, solar cell makers, ect... that's Fascism. When the govt. requires everyone to buy private health insurance, that's Fascism. When the Govt. through laws and taxation decides what is good for people to eat, drink, and smoke, that's Fascism.

The veneer of democracy in the US for the most part works out through control of information. Of course there are examples where the majority doesn't agree with our oligarchs, gay marriage and mandatory health insurance, for example. In these cases the courts issue edicts and side with the oligarchs. Today some judge ruled people don't need ID's to vote--you think our oligarchs would ever put that to a vote? Just vote Obama or Romney citizen.

Capitalism? What Capitalism? All of our money controlled and created by some group we know little about since 1913. Romney is made out to be the so called Capitalist in the current election and is being hounded for only paying 15% on his income which is from investments. His reply was that money had already been taxed at a corporate rate of 40%. A valid point. What Capitalism?

Obama the commie, who gave Wall Street trillions, is going to win this election but even if there was an unforeseen event and Romney was to win, he would follow the same Fascist policies.

The US was meant to be, and pursued fascism under the 'guise' of democracy and called it a democratic republic ... it has never been totally committed to either or any, because of allowing their Central Bank to become a private enterprise.

In sum, our current jew-run Fascism rejects church and nationalism. By IRS Code in the US churches are verbotten involvement in the political arena. If they do indulge, they'll lose their tax-free religious exemption. I wonder who passed that law? Nationalism? The USA is no longer one volk.

The US was meant to be, and pursued fascism under the 'guise' of democracy and called it a democratic republic ... it has never been totally committed to either or any, because of allowing their Central Bank to become a private enterprise.

Indeed, you can say that again, Mystica. We were bombed to smithereens and almost totally destroyed. We just barely survived, a REAL Holocaust in Hamburg and it was worse yet in once beautiful Dresden. Near starvation followed... What saved our lives was (ironically) the fact that we barely had air left to breathe, no more water to drink and no one could open the doors, this is actually what saved us.

Needless to say, we too ended up the "The Monster" Bank.

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"At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to state this or that or the other, but it is "not done"....Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with.

All these political ideologies have been incorporated in all nations around the world cause these are the bookends of current political thought. As far as political systems, we all pretty much have one--an oligarchy; political ideologies are not political systems. Of the three, Fascism, Capitalism, and Democracy, the US is more ideologically Fascist.

History. Theocracies as political systems died in the 20th Century and are not even open for debate as viable systems although they remain as ideologies in a few nations such as Israel and Iran. Monarchies such as the Gulf States only survive because they're puppets and the rulers are only ideological rulers, not absolute rulers. They have incorporated the the FDC ideologies into their political systems and are probably more C followed by F with a smaller group of oligarchs.

Back to the USA. When US Govt. gives trillions to banks, billions to car companies, solar cell makers, ect... that's Fascism. When the govt. requires everyone to buy private health insurance, that's Fascism. When the Govt. through laws and taxation decides what is good for people to eat, drink, and smoke, that's Fascism.

The veneer of democracy in the US for the most part works out through control of information. Of course there are examples where the majority doesn't agree with our oligarchs, gay marriage and mandatory health insurance, for example. In these cases the courts issue edicts and side with the oligarchs. Today some judge ruled people don't need ID's to vote--you think our oligarchs would ever put that to a vote? Just vote Obama or Romney citizen.

Capitalism? What Capitalism? All of our money controlled and created by some group we know little about since 1913. Romney is made out to be the so called Capitalist in the current election and is being hounded for only paying 15% on his income which is from investments. His reply was that money had already been taxed at a corporate rate of 40%. A valid point. What Capitalism?

Obama the commie, who gave Wall Street trillions, is going to win this election but even if there was an unforeseen event and Romney was to win, he would follow the same Fascist policies.

Nice lecture Laconas! Now that you have cleared this up so well, is there any way I can get off this planet?

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"At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to state this or that or the other, but it is "not done"....Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with.

Mussolini argued that it was ridiculous to base policy simply on the desires of the majority because of his belief in the decline of Western Civilization and the idea that the majority of people had become decadent. In his 1935 essay on fascism, Fascism: Doctrine and Institutions, Mussolini wrote: "Fascism denies, in democracy, the absurd conventional untruth of political equality dressed out in the garb of collective irresponsibility…"

The development of fascism, and its eventual popular support, was a total rejection of Marxism, which was a growing movement at the time. In fact, Germany was the birthplace of Marxism, as it is where Karl Marx was born and schooled and where his ideologies were first accepted. Germany, at the time of the fascist takeover, had one of the strongest Marxist traditions in the world with a large and organized Marxist labor movement. Fascism ultimately rejected all of the ideas contained in Marxism and took action to break Marxist labor movements.

The principle tenets of Marxism are equality, democracy and atheism/materialism. Marxism champions the pursuit of the equality of race, gender, and economic status. Marxism stated that democracy as it was practiced was not truly representative of all people, it was only representative of establishment interests, and thus Marxism was a call for "true" and total democracy where every citizen was totally equal in their political influence. Marxism, of course, stated that religion was the "opium of the people" and a barrier to solutions for worldly problems, and Marxism, as an atheist ideology, acknowledges nothing supernatural and held that the only things that exist are material; that all of reality is simply the material reality that we see and experience. Additionally, Marxism held that "class struggle" was the driving force of social progress, and that class struggle was the appropriate means by which a just society would be created.

Fascism was based on the fundamental rejection of all of these ideas.

Mussolini states in his 1935 essay on fascism:

Such a conception of life makes Fascism the complete opposite of that doctrine, the base of so-called scientific and Marxian Socialism, the materialist conception of history; according to which the history of human civilization can be explained simply through the conflict of interests among the various social groups and by the change and development in the means and instruments of production. That the changes in the economic field-new discoveries of raw materials, new methods of working them and the inventions of science-have their importance no one can deny; but that these factors are sufficient to explain the history of humanity excluding all others is an absurd delusion. Fascism, now and always, believes in holiness and in heroism; that is to say, in actions influenced by no economic motive, direct or indirect. And if we deny the economic conception of history, according to which men are no more than puppets carried to and fro by the waves of chance, while the real directing forces are quite out of their control, it follows that the existence of an unchangeable and unchanging class-war is also denied-the natural progeny of the economic conception of history. And above all Fascism denies that class-war can be the preponderant force in the transformation of society.

Hitler's 1933 Reichstag speech, considered one of his most important because of its generally positive reception by the international community, also clearly defined the fascist anti-Communist agenda.

"IN NOVEMBER, 1918, Marxist organizations seized the executive power by means of a revolution. The monarchs were dethroned, the authorities of the Reich and of the States removed from office, and thereby a breach of the Constitution was committed. The success of the revolution in a material sense protected the guilty parties from the hands of the law. They sought to justify it morally by asserting that Germany or its Government bore the guilt for the outbreak of the War.

This assertion was deliberately and actually untrue. In consequence, however, these untrue accusations in the interest of our former enemies led to the severest oppression of the entire German nation and to the breach of the assurances given to us in Wilson's fourteen points, and so for Germany, that is to say the working classes of the German people, to a time of infinite misfortune....

The splitting up of the nation into groups with irreconcilable views, systematically brought about by the false doctrines of Marxism, means the destruction of the basis of a possible communal life.... It is only the creation of a real national community, rising above the interests and differences of rank and class, that can permanently remove the source of nourishment of these aberrations of the human mind. The establishment of such a solidarity of views in the German body corporate is all the more important, for it is only thereby that the possibility is provided of maintaining friendly relations with foreign Powers without regard to the tendencies or general principles by which they are dominated, for the elimination of communism in Germany is a purely domestic German affair."

So fascism, as it developed, was reactionary; it was a reaction to the perceived problems of modernism, and the immediate perceived threat of Communism.

Mussolini declared fascism as the ideology of the "ethical State". From Mussolini's 1935 essay:

The foundation of Fascism is the conception of the State, its character, its duty, and its aim. Fascism conceives of the State as an absolute, in comparison with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived of in their relation to the State. The "Liberal State" is not a directing force, guiding the play and development (both material and spiritual) of a collective body, but merely a force limited to the function of recording results. On the other hand, the Fascist State is itself conscious, and has itself a will and a personality-thus it may be called the "ethical" State....

The individual in the Fascist State is not annulled but rather multiplied, just in the same way that a soldier in a regiment is not diminished but rather increased by the number of his comrades. The Fascist State organizes the nation, but leaves a sufficient margin of liberty to the individual; the latter is deprived of all useless and possibly harmful freedom, but retains what is essential; the deciding power in this question cannot be the individual, but the State alone....

The Fascist State is an embodied will to power and government, the idea of force in action. According to Fascism, government is not so much a thing to be expressed in territorial or military terms as in terms of morality and spirit. It is an empire-that is to say, a nation which directly or indirectly rules other nations without the need of conquering a single square yard of territory.

That statement says a lot so I will dissect out the finer points.

This starts to get tricky because of modern understandings of what Liberalism is. I don't want to get too far ahead, but I will say that the modern popular concept of "Liberalism" in America is in some ways the concept of fascism, and what was at that time referred to as Liberalism would perhaps be referred to as libertarianism in America today, thus the above statement is seemingly confusing.

Firstly, fascism, as it relates to governance, is an ideology based on the importance of the State. Fascism holds that the institution of the State is itself the most important entity in society, i.e. that the government is more important than individuals.

Secondly, fascism holds that the purpose of the State is not just to uphold rights and document legalities, but that the purpose of the State is to organize society and guide the spiritual and economic development of the nation. Thirdly, the goal of the fascist State is to, essentially, protect people by removing "harmful" freedoms, while preserving "essential" rights. These two concepts are what most people in America identify with so-called "Nanny State Liberalism", although in truth both conservatives and liberals in America support such views.

Additionally, the fascist State embarks on imperialism, not only through the traditional means of colonial territorial control, like that of the British Empire, but through the use of hegemony to directly or indirectly control nations with or without occupation.

This is known as neo-liberalism, but is now often referred to as neo-conservatism, as this practice is supported mostly by the American Right today.

There are two somewhat distinct aspects of fascism, social fascism and economic fascism. Both the economic and social aspects of fascism focused importance on the role of the State.

The fascist concept of the State was as an entity which was to be used to promote the "cultural well being" of civilization; that liberal society existed in chaos because the State had no authority to enforce organization or to actually promote culture or to give people a direction, and that it was the goal of fascism to give people direction in a chaotic world. The desires of the fascist leaders, Mussolini, Franco, and Hitler, to "improve" society were genuine. These were not people who were simply trying to take power in order to materially benefit themselves. They did materially benefit themselves in the process, but they had an honest desire to transform society and, in their view, make the world a better place.

To be continued....

Logged

"At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to state this or that or the other, but it is "not done"....Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with.